US1305719A - Fluid-gage - Google Patents

Description

H. HASTINGS.

FLUID GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11. 91a.

Patented June 3, 1919.

I/I/VE/l/TOR I WITNESSES.

ma. wAsmNGwN. n. c.

no STATES PATENT onnion.

HERBERT HASTINGS,'OF BRIGHTON, NEW YORK.

. FLUID-GAGE.

Application filed July 17, 1918. Serial No. 245,412.

This invention relates particularly to:

gages for indicating theamount of gasolene in tanks, as used on automobiles but obviously may be used for other liquids and in other applications and the objects of my in-.

vention are To provide improved means of transmitting motion from the float member to the indicating member.

To provide an assembly 7 which shall be free from the possibility of any part becoming loose or detached through the loosening of screws, bolts, rivets or the like.

. To provide an actionwhich'can only be 7 disassembled or taken apart by'distorting or mutilating oneor more of the parts.

To provide means for locating the action element of the gage on the flange which supports it on the tank and also means for preventing said action element from swinging away from its seat on the flange before the retaining members are applied.

To provide means for attaching thedial to the action member without the use of additional parts.

The above, objects may be obtained in many different arrangements and combinations of parts. I have chosen to illustrate my invention by the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a partial sectional view in elevation, taken through the center line of thev a e. g Fig. 2 is a partial side View in elevation of the support member, shown in Fig. 1. V

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the gage head, showing the-cap, dial and pointer.

Fig. 4' is a plan view of the flange which adapts the gage action to the tank.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view in elevation taken on the line Z Z of Fig. 4:.

Fig. 6 is'a plan view of the action plate.

Fig. 7 is "a sectional View in elevation taken on the line XX of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the dial blank. Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view in elevation of'the dial blank and action plate shown assembled.

Like letters and numbers refer to like parts throughout the diflerent views.

1 is a flange designed for attaching to a tank and provided with means for receiving and supportingthe action assembly of the gage. This flange is provided with an inturned flange 1 which is formed with the exterior portion projecting above the interior portion, thus forming'an internal re- 7 Specification of Letter s Patent. Patented June 3 1919 cessed scat adapted to receive the action 1 plate 2. ears 2, projecting downwardly from the plate proper about the thickness of the metal from which they are made and another ear 2 is provid'ed projecting downwardly, a greater distance thus forming space between the lower edge of the plate "proper and the top'surface of the ear, a little in excess of the thickness of the inturned flange 1 V The inturned flange 1 is perforated somewhat'less in diameter than the diameter of the action plate 2, and the flange is IIOtChBdIOHt. at 1*, to accommodate the ears 2 of the plate 2 and the ear 2* is adapted to engage underneath the unnotched portion.

of the flangel, opposite the middle one of the slots 1". The object obtained by thus engaging the ears 2 with the slot 1", is the locating of'the plate 2 concentric in the re-' cess of the flange 1, and alsoto key .it in a predetermlned' position relative to either center line and, further, the ear 2 engaglng underneath the flange 1, prevents the action 7 plate from rocking off from the seat of the flange when the .flange'is tilted out of a horizontal plane. The reason for making this provision is as follows:

' It very often happens that it is desirable to install a gage in the tank in a position which does not maintain the gage action in a vertical position and in assembling the gage on the flange when the latter has been applied to the tank; unless this provision is made, the gage has a tendency to assume a' vertical position, which causes the gage plate to rock out of the lower slde of its seat Action plate 2 isprovided with and the provision above prevents this, While the complete assembling of the gage in the flange is accomplished as below described.

The action plate is further provided with two notches 2, which are adapted to receive the down turned ears 3, of the dial 3, for locating it concentric with the plate and in a predetermined position relative to a predetermined center line. In attaching the dial to the plate, the ears 3, are turned underneath the edge of the plate, as shown in Fig. 9 and the portions of the ears on the underside thereof are accommodated in the notches 1 provided therefor in the flange 1. The gage plate is perforated at 2 and 2". The perforations 2 are adapted to receive the shoulder ends a of the action support 4 and these ends are retained in the plate by riveting'over the upper end. The hole 2 is adapted to receive the reduced end 5 of the pointer stem 5 and the shoulder formed at this reduction bears on the under side of the plate and retains the stem against upward motion. Near the lower end, the; pointer stem is formed, so as to provide a radial projection 5 and the extreme lower end is reduced in diameter, providing the pivot point 5 and the shoulder formed between this pivot point and the stem furnishes a shoulder engaging with the lower portion of the action support 4 and retains the stem against displacementin a downward direction. The action support 4 is iiormed with a flattened loop at its lower end. this loop forming a segment of a circle, the center of which is coincident with the intersection of tne axis of the stem with the center line of the radial portion thereof, and this flattened loop is provided with two per forations 4 the center lines of which are in alinement, one with the other and which center line passes through the above intersection and forming an acute angle with the center line of the pointer stem. In prac tice, I find that good results are had when this angle is about 30 degrees with the normal to the center has of the pointer stem. Engaging w h the radialportion 5 of the pointer stein, is a slotted lever 6, provided with a slot- 6 and, in assembling the action, the pointer stem is passed through this slot, so that the radial portion ofthe pointer stem is in engagement with this slot when the slotted lever is assembled inthe support. The slotted lever is provided with trunnion projections 6, which are adapted to bear in the perforations 4 of the support, and when the lever is thus assembled within the loop of the support and the pointer stem passed through it, as described with its upper bearing in the action plate and its lower bearing in the support, as the lever is rotated upon its trunnion center, the motion of rotation is transferred to the pointer stem throughout the complete arc of action. To

the slotted plate is attached a float rod 7 to the extreme lower end of which is attached a float 8. This float is adapted to float upon the surface of the liquid in which the gage is to be used and as this surface rises or falls the float goes with it and the motion is transferred through the float rod to the slotted lever and hence to the pointer stem and pointer?) attached thereto, and traversing the graduated are 3" of the dial 3, indicates the relative position of the surface of the liquid in the tank. 7

A further and important consideration of my invention rests in the relative diameter of the action plate 2, the dial 3, the perforation 10 of the cap 10 and the internal diameter of the washers 11 and 12. Gages have previously I been made in which the dials are of the same diameter as the action plate 2 and are contained within the recessed seat 1 of 1, and in such a construction inasmuch as the internal diameter of the retaining gasket 11 must be smaller than the dial, in order to retain it in its seat on the flange, this necessitates that the perforation in the cap be smaller in diameter than the outside diameter of the action plate, in order to line up with the internal diameter of the washers, and further this necessitates that the action plate be made larger than the cap perforation and therefore of a separate piece of material. In my invention, I effect a two-fold economy by making the action plate from the blank perforated from the cap. This is accomplished by making the dial enough larger in diameter than theaction plate to permit of ample bearing surface against the retaining washerand the action of these retaining washers forces the outer edge of thedial. against the flange outside of the recess and the washer compresses over the edge of the dial and forms a seal outside thereof on the flange. The flange 1 is threaded externally at 1 and the cap 10 is threaded internally at 10", the cap is flanged internally at 10 and perforated at 10 as above. In the inside of the cap are assembled the washer 12, the glass 13 and the washer 10. The following is the procedure in assembling the completed gage on the. flange. The float end of the action is inserted through the circular perforation of the flange and the ear 2 of the action plate is hooked under the internal flange 1 of l and the ears 2 of the actionplate 2 are brought into engagementwith the perforations l of 1, the action is thus located and retained by gravity in its seat. The cap 10 with the parts assembled therein as above, is then screwed over the flange, bringing the washer 11 tight against the flange and dial thus forming a seal against leakage past the threads, also spacing the glassabove the dial and the gasket 12 forms a seal against leakage above the glass.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a fluid gage, a tubular casing provided with an inturned flange, a depressed annular recess provided in said flange, a dial adapted to rest on the flange outside of said recess, a plate adapted to be supported in said recess, a float mechanism supported on the underside of said plate, means for retaining the plate in the seat.

2. In a fluid gage, a tubular casing provided with an inturned flange, a depressed annular recess provided in said flange, a dial adapted to rest on the flange, outside of said recess, a plate adapted to be supported in said recess, means for attaching the dial to the plate, a float mechanism supported on the underside of said plate, means for retaining the plate in the seat.

3. In a fluid gage, a tubular casing, provided with an internal flange and with a nominally circular central perforation with locating notches and with unnotched portions, a plate provided with locating ears adapted to engage said notches and a retaining ear adaptedto engage on theunderside oi the unnotched portion of the lnternal flange, a float mechanism supported from the underside of said plate, a dial supported on the upperside of said plate and means for retaining said dial and plate in position on the flange.

4c. In a fluid gage, a tubular casing provided with an internal flange, a depression 7 therein spaced back from the edge thereof,

a notched perforation in said depressed por- 7 tion, a plate with projections for engaging said notches and with another projection adapted to engage underneath an unnotched portion of the flange, a support suspended from the underside of the plate, a pointer stem pivoted in the support, a lever also pivoted in the support in engagement with the pointer stem, a float attached to said lever, a dial on the upper side of said plate with its outer edge resting on the flange outside of said depression and means for retaining the dial and plate in position upon the flange.

5. In a fluid gage, a graduated dial, a stem provided with a pointer for traversing the graduations and a radial projection, a lever engaging the projection, a float attached to the lever, means for supporting the stem and lever in revoluble engagement.

6. In a fluid gage, a plate, a stem provided with a pointer at one end and a radial projection, a lever engaging the projection, a float attached to the lever, means for revolubly supporting the stem and lever so that the lever engages the radial portion of the stem with the axis of rotation of the stem and lever and the axis of the radial portion of the stem meeting at a common point with the two axes of rotation forming an acute 7 angle with each other.

7. In a fluid gage, a revoluble pointer stem with a pointer at its upper end, an oscillating lever adapted to impart an oscillatory motion to the stem and having shouldered trunnion bearing projections, a sup port for the stem and lever provided with holes adapted to receive the trunnion bearings of the lever, said bearings being brought into and retained in engagement with the holes by springing or expanding the lever, afloat rod attached'to the'lever'and a float attached to the rod.

8. In a fluid gage, a plate, a dial provided with ears adapted to be bent into engagement with the plate, a pointer above the dial, a pointer stem, a float, means for transmitting motion from the float to the stem,

means for retaining said several means in" operative engagement and for mounting theniin a tank. 7

9. In a liquid gage, a pointer, a pointer stem provided With'a radial projection, a lever provided with a slot adapted to 'engage said radial projection and pivoted'to swing at an angle with the center line of the stem, a float attached to the lever, a member in which the stem and lever are pivoted, a plate to which the member is attached and means for supporting the plate on a tank. I HERBERT HASTINGS.

Witnesses:

EDNA M. OARMonY, WM. MnLoAHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, I). G.

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